Owners of brand smartphones Honor often face a situation where the system analyzer reports a lack of free space. A detailed study of the storage reveals that the lion's share of the volume is occupied by the “Other” section. This mysterious item can grow to tens of gigabytes, significantly slowing down the device and blocking the installation of new updates.
The problem is that the standard Magic UI shell does not always allow you to simply press the “delete” button for this category. Other is a hodgepodge of temporary files, remnants of deleted applications, messenger caches and system logs To effectively deal with memory overflow, you need to understand the structure of this data and use proven methods for eliminating it safely.
In this article we will look at proven ways to free up space on your Honor. We will look at both the built-in system tools and more advanced methods that will help you regain gigabytes of free space without the need to reset to factory settings.
What is hidden in the “Other” category on Honor
Before taking decisive action, it is worth understanding the nature of the occurrence of junk files. The “Other” category on Android Honor devices is formed automatically by the system during operation. This includes files that the operating system cannot unambiguously classify as photos, videos, music or documents.
The bulk is usually occupied by cached data social networks and instant messengers. When you view your news feed or listen to voice messages in Telegram or WhatsApp, this data is saved locally for faster reloading. Over time, this “temporary” archive can reach 10-15 GB, remaining invisible to the user in the standard gallery menu.
This section also includes:
- 📦 Residual files after deleting applications (configs, databases).
- 📦 System logs and error reports that accumulate over months.
- 📦 Downloaded maps for offline navigation in navigators.
- 📦 Temporary files for system and application updates from Google Play.
⚠️ Attention: Some files in the section "Other" are critical to the operation of installed apps. Completely deleting the contents of system folders manually can lead to incorrect operation of applications or loss of progress in games.
Using the built-in cleaning manager
The safest and first step that the owner should take Honoris to use a standard tool optimization. The Magic UI shell is equipped with a built-in algorithm that can find files that are safe to delete. To start the process, you need to go to menu Settings → Memory → Cleaning.
The system will analyze the contents and offer to delete unnecessary files, duplicate photos and large attachments. However, a standard scanner often works superficially and does not touch the deep cache of applications. To access more detailed cleaning, click on the “Manage Applications” item in the same memory menu. Here you can manually select a heavy application and clear it cachewithout touching important account data.
It is important to distinguish between the concepts of “Clear cache” and “Erase data”. The first operation deletes only temporary files, the second resets the application to its state immediately after installation, deleting logins, passwords and settings. To combat “Other,” we need to clear the cache.
☑️ Basic cleaning checklist
Often users ignore the trash can in the gallery and the “Recently Deleted” folder in files. This data can also be taken into account by the system in general calculations or occupy space that has already been formally vacated by the user, but is still physically occupied. Checking these partitions is a mandatory stage of comprehensive cleaning.
Manual cleaning through a file manager
For more advanced users, the method of manually auditing the file system is suitable. Standard Explorer Files on Honor allows you to see the folder structure. You will need to go to the root directory of the internal memory and pay attention to folders with the names of popular applications, for example, Android/data or Tencent.
Inside the folder Android/data data of all installed apps is stored. Here you can find messenger folders with attachments. For example, on the way com.whatsapp/Android/media there are often thousands of saved pictures and videos that have already been viewed, but take up space. By deleting the contents of folders cache within these directories, you safely free up space.
You should be careful with folders whose names you are not familiar with. If you are not sure what a directory with the name com.android.providers.downloads or similar system name is responsible for, it is better to leave it alone. Deleting system files can lead to cyclic reboots or interface errors.
| Folder / Directory | What it contains | Can I delete |
|---|---|---|
DCIM/.thumbnails |
Photo thumbnails | Yes (will be created again) |
Download |
Files from the browser | Yes (after verification) |
Android/data |
Cache and application data | Partially (cache only) |
System |
OS system files | No (critical) |
Use sorting files by size in the file manager. This will allow you to instantly find forgotten video files or archives that take up the most space, instead of sorting through thousands of small documents.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
Messengers deserve special attention, since they are the main generators of garbage. Telegram, WhatsApp i Viber by default they save all media files to the device memory. In the settings itself Telegram there is a built-in and very powerful cleaning tool. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage.
Here you will see the “Store media” slider and the “Clear cache” button. Feel free to move the slider towards a shorter period (for example, 3 days or 1 week). This won't delete your conversations from the server, but it will free up space on your phone by deleting old photos and videos from local storage. When you reopen the chat, the media will be downloaded from the cloud again.
For WhatsApp the procedure is slightly different. Inside the application, go to Settings → Data and storage → Storage management. The system will show files larger than 5 MB and chats that take up the most space. This is a convenient way to specifically delete heavy video files, which often make up the bulk of the “Other” section.
⚠️ Attention: The interface and location of settings in applications may change after updates. If you do not find the indicated items, use the search inside the settings of the application itself using the word “Memory” or “Cache”.
Using specialized utilities
If the built-in tools are not enough, third-party cleaning applications come to the rescue. Files by Googleis considered one of the most reliable and safe utilities. It is not overloaded with advertising and effectively finds duplicates, old screenshots and unused applications.
Another powerful tool is SD Maid. Unlike many analogues, this app can find “corpses” - files left after applications are uninstalled. The Storage Analyzer feature visually shows which folders are the most bloated, allowing you to make an informed decision about deleting them. However, even with proven utilities, you should be careful and not blindly trust the automatic cleaning of everything. SD Maid visually shows which folders are the most bloated, allowing you to make an informed decision about deleting them. However, even with proven utilities, you should be careful and not blindly trust the automatic cleaning of everything.
It is not recommended to install dubious “accelerators” and “coolers” of the processor that promise miraculous cleaning. Often such apps themselves consume a lot of resources and display intrusive advertising, causing more harm than good. Trust only well-known developers with a good reputation in Google Play.
Why does “Other” come back after cleaning?
The “Other” section is a dynamic category. As soon as you start actively using your phone (scrolling through the feed, listening to music, working in a navigator), the system will again begin to create temporary files. This is normal behavior of the Android OS to ensure performance. Regular but careful cleaning is the only solution.
Radical measures: resetting and flashing
In cases where the “Other” section occupies a disproportionately large volume (for example, 30-40 GB on 64 GB of memory) and cannot be cleaned by any methods, damage to the file system or accumulation of system files is possible errors. In such a situation, a full reset to factory settings helps (Factory Reset).
Before performing this procedure critically important make a complete backup of all important data to your computer or to the cloud. Resetting will delete absolutely everything: contacts, photos, applications and settings. After the reset, the phone will be like new, and the “Other” category will take up the minimum possible space.
If even the reset did not help and the space disappears immediately after installing the basic set of applications, the problem may lie in the memory hardware or incorrect operation of a specific firmware version. In this case, you should contact an authorized service center Honor for diagnostics.
A full reset (Factory Reset) is an extreme measure that is guaranteed to remove all software junk, but requires mandatory preliminary data backup.
Prevention of memory overflow
To prevent the problem of a “bloated” partition from returning too often, it is worth changing your smartphone usage habits. Enable the automatic cleaning function in the memory settings if your version Magic UI allows it. It is also useful to check your Downloads folder once a month and delete any APK installation files that remain after installing applications.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Setting up automatic synchronization with Google Photos or the cloud Honor will allow you to store originals on the Internet, freeing up local space. Configure instant messengers so that media files are not automatically saved to the gallery unless absolutely necessary.
Regular monitoring of installed applications also works wonders. Delete games you stopped playing and apps you haven't used in the last six months. Each application, even in sleep mode, can generate background garbage.
Why, after deleting files, the volume of "Other" did not decrease?
The system may display data incorrectly due to caching of storage information. Try rebooting your device. If this does not help, the files may not have been completely deleted or they may be locked by system processes. In some cases, it takes time (up to 24 hours) for the system to recalculate the storage index.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
Absolutely not. The folder Android contains vital data for the operation of all installed applications and the system itself. Removing it will lead to complete inoperability of the smartphone and will require flashing. You can only clear the contents of subfolders cache within specific applications.
Does the overflow of the “Other” section affect the speed of operation?
Yes, it does. When the free space on the internal drive runs out (less than 10-15% remains), the speed of writing and reading data drops. This leads to interface freezes, long application launch times, and slowdowns when shooting video. Regular cleaning is necessary to maintain high performance.
Is it safe to use root access for cleaning?
Getting root access (superuser rights) gives full access to the file system, but this voids the device warranty Honor and breaks the operation of banking applications and Google Pay services. For normal memory cleaning, obtaining root access is not required and is not recommended for ordinary users.